Stolen bikes recovered in nuisance
motors blitz

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Four stolen motorbikes have been recovered and one person has been arrested for theft in the Beds Police clampdown on nuisance motorcyclists.

Primiarly thanks to information from members of the public, the four vehicles have been returned to their owners and one man has been arrested on suspicion of theft.

On November 15 in Hitchin Road, three males were seen acting suspiciously with a red Honda motorcycle which was later reported as stolen.

A 23-year-old man was arrested and is on police bail as further enquiries are carried out.

Two PCSOs discovered an abandoned Yamaha motorcycle in St Thomas’ Road on November 21 and an hour later the owner reported it as being stolen from Felstead Way and was reunited it.

Three days later, members of the Local Policing Team received information from members of the public concerning a number of motorbikes being driven across Stopsley Common and in the surrounding streets.

When officers arrived shortly afterwards, they discovered two stolen motorcycles - a red Yamaha and a blue Honda – that had been dumped.

On the same day, another local resident called 101 to report a quad bike which had been abandoned in bushes in Butterfield Green Road.

Officers attended and discovered the black and white Haili vehicle which had been reported stolen from Tower Way, Luton, earlier in the month.

All of the vehicles were recovered and reunited with their rightful owners.

Sergeant Melissa Cunningham of the Local Policing Team said: “We have seen some very positive results ever since we appealed to members of the public to come forward with information about nuisance motorists and this has enabled us to recover stolen property and reunite it with their rightful owner.

“Nuisance vehicles are a blight on residents’ lives across Luton and I hope that residents will continue to work with the Local Policing Team in an effort to crackdown on this form of antisocial behaviour.”

While officers are able to take full advantage of Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 which gives them the ability to stop anti-social motorists and warn them about their behaviour as well as issuing fines and seizing their vehicles, it is stopping suspects in the first instance that can be the biggest problem.

Sgt Cunningham said: “One of the issues we have is not being able to chase after every single nuisance rider or motorist but by providing information such as names, addresses or where the vehicle may have been previously, we can build up a picture of the offenders and take appropriate action.”

Anyone with information concerning nuisance vehicles can contact Bedfordshire Police on the 101 number or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.